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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: season · branch · can · ground · track · mate · safe · spring

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. mate — a partner
  3. ground — crushed
  4. mate — to breed
  5. season — in sport
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. spring — the season
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ground — the earth
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. can — a tin
  13. mate — a friend
  14. ground — a position
  15. spring — of water
  16. track — a path
  17. track — to keep track
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. branch — a division
  21. spring — a coil
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. track — a song

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com